Your 10 Most Recommend Books To Read before You Die

[orion]

+1 for anything Kurt Vonnegut, particularly "Cat's Cradle"

Dean Koontz  "Watchers"

Dean Koontz "Shattered"

Albert Camus "The Stranger"

H.P Lovecraft "The Call of Cthulhu"

Dalai Lama "Ethics for the new millennium"

George Bernard Shaw"The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet" (Technically a play)

[massive88]

i finally read this a few months ago. loved it (",)

the person who recommended it to me knew i loved 'neuromancer'. he said this is better than neuromancer. but i disagree. i find them to be rather different in style. it would be kinda like saying 'hitch hikers guide' is better than 'star trek'...

Haven't read Neuromancer yet, the friend who gave me Snowcrash said they preferred it to Neuro, but I intend to read it and make my own call!

[daywane]

I listen do books now.
Hope that counts.
most of the single books have been listed.
here a a few series. ( I look for series books)
Maximum ride I think there is 4 in this set so far
undead and unappreciated (funny as heck, NOT FOR YOUNGER KIDS!)
battle field earth (I actually read, Largest book I have read, Loved it)
forest gump (book completely differant from movie)
Sega of seven suns  6 books ( I think saga means 6. not real sure)
Secret Garden

[danny_galaga]

how about graphic novels? ive just been put on to 'preacher'. ive read the first four so far. bloody brilliant. only the person who is lending them, hasnt got 5 and 6 at the moment. it goes up to 9...

[Ginsu Victim]

how about graphic novels?

What you call graphic novels I call comic books.

That's fine, as long as you don't call 'em "funny books."

[Level42]

If you've never read Watchmen, you've got time before the movie comes out. Well worth it!

Also, since I'm adding to the thread, I'll add the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons as one of the best series of novels I've ever read.  It's also a story that's been trying to break onto the big screen for a good long time.

+1000 ! Impossible to make movies from though IMHO.

[Ummon]

If you've never read Watchmen, you've got time before the movie comes out. Well worth it!

Also, since I'm adding to the thread, I'll add the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons as one of the best series of novels I've ever read.  It's also a story that's been trying to break onto the big screen for a good long time.

+1000 ! Impossible to make movies from though IMHO.

Hyperion has been in the process of scripting and such for a few years. I haven't been keeping up - updates are on his site - but I think it's possible to do it. We'll just have to see whether someone can.

You already posted that early on.

Wow . . . I thought this was a new thread.  Looking at my prior post though is almost creepy.  The list is almost identical, right down to the parentheticals!  That is ---smurfing--- weird.

Slightly, yeah.

First, it depends on why you're reading them.

Is this directed at me?  If so, what do you mean?  What is "it" and what is "them?"  If them is the books on my list, I'm recommending them because I enjoy reading and they are among the most enjoyable books I've ever read.

No. To everyone. The question is: for what reason before one dies (and I don't mean right before one dies, but just in life in general) would reading anything be absolutely necessary?

[shmokes]

In that case . . . maybe the instruction manual for dangerous equipment that it was necessary for me to operate? 

[danny_galaga]

In that case . . . maybe the instruction manual for dangerous equipment that it was necessary for me to operate? 

 

or the flight manual for that 747 you are piloting....

[Ginsu Victim]

That's because this is YOUR top ten, not THE top ten.

[boykster]

2 of my favorite non-fiction books of all time:

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character
What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character

Richard Feynman is/was a personal hero of mine, and these 2 books were very important in my self education and learning about the world and how to think.

[danny_galaga]

Still cracks me up that people are suggesting pulp fiction and comic books as "top 10 best books EVAH".  It doesn't ALL have to be snotty, but c'mon.

talking of being snotty, are you ever going to fix your spelling mistake?

[lcddream]

Song of Ice and Fire Series - George RR Martin

Read them all - there are 4 i think. I read alot of Fantasy. This is the best, hands down.

HBO is producing a series for it.

[danny_galaga]

talking of being snotty, are you ever going to fix your spelling mistake?

How about your capitalization issues?

you really are an opionated a-hole 

[Ummon]

Yeah, Feynman was great. Not a book, but speaking of....well, not heroes....but someone one might identify with in ways....last night I watched a documentary on Glenn Gould, pianist eccentric extroadinare. Certainly enlightening. I really gotta get - read: find or rent - his collection of movies he did. This guy was naturally far out long before anyone knew what was far out.

[david656]

i'm not a reader... wish i was... but just hate having to read... good listener though.. and i second Bruce Campbell's - Make Love The Bruce Campbell way !... audio book ! having him read it just makes it so much more worth it...  definite one to listen to before you cop it. 

[Yander]

The two Richard Feynman books mentioned above are among my favorites.

some others

1984 - Orwell
Catch 22 - Heller
Brave New World - Huxley
Invisible Man - Ellison not wells
Odyssey - Homer
Intruder in the Dust - Faulkner
Rievers - Faulkner
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Thompson

[shmokes]

I'll echo 1984, Invisible Man and Fear and Loathing.  Never read any Faulkner.  Started Brave New World over Christmas break.  Won't pick it up again till spring semester is over.  Pretty good so far, though.

[ark_ader]

Julian May - The many Coloured Land and the Golden Torc.